ONTARIO – Home at last to start a three-game stand at Citizens Business Bank Arena, Reign coach Karl Taylor put in the call for more offense.

A week earlier he added two forwards with American Hockey League experience and Maxime Bosclair, Jon Rheault and the rest of the Reign were under strict orders to fire away. The Reign, who hadn’t played at home since Nov. 1, ranked last in the ECHL in shots on goal.

The result was plenty of chances, but not enough to prevent a shootout, in which the Reign beat the Stockton Thunder 3-2 before an announced crowd of 4,068 on Wednesday night.

“It’s good that we won but I don’t think we played very well,” Taylor said. “We were very lucky to win today. We’ll take the win as a steal, but we need to be better or else we’re going to be in big trouble this weekend.”

After playing catch-up much of the game, Reign forward Dusty Collins fired a deep shot that grazed teammate Tim Kraus and eluded Stockton goalie Andrew Perugini to tie the game at 2 with 34 seconds left in regulation.

It was the first shootout ever at the new arena, and the first of the regular season for the Reign (6-4-0-1).

Rheault, Kraus and Todd Jackson scored goals in the shootout, and goaltender Jeff Zatkoff stopped three of four after making 36 saves on 38 chances in regulation.

Despite their missive to shoot more often, the Reign were outshot 38-36; they have been outshot in every game this season.

“The more pucks you shoot, it’s going to look like you’re not scoring,” Kraus said. “But if we’re getting shots, and they’re seeing that, their defense is going to be backing up and that’s going to open things up in the slot for high-percentage shots.”

The scoring opened 2:36 into the second period, on the first penalty shot in CBBA history. Unfortunately for the Reign, it was Stockton’s Ryan Huddy who put the shot past Zatkoff.

Huddy had broken loose for a breakaway, Reign defenseman Shawn Germain caught up to him from behind, and appeared to poke the puck cleanly off Huddy’s stick.

“The explanation to me was that it was a slash on the gloves,” Germain said. “I don’t think I got him on the gloves. Usually if he doesn’t fall down it has to be a hook – from my understanding.”

Stockton (4-5-0-1) took advantage of another breakaway less than four minutes later. This time it was Justin Chwedoruk who beat Reign defenseman Andrew Martens up ice, then got Zatkoff off-balance, sending him spinning in the crease, and knocked the puck in to make it 2-0.

Stockton drew separate 2-minute minor penalties with 4:38 left in the second period, as Kraus was sent flying into the Thunder net.

Given the 5-on-3 power play, Rheault finished the sequence with his second goal of the season.